Category Archives: Free download

Bravestation’s back! After stowing away for half a year, the Toronto band who I feel like describing today as mystical wave rock have put forth their first new offering, “Signs of the Civilized,” from their upcoming album.

“Signs of the Civilized” is airy and promising. It flutters and flaps its wings like a baby bird getting ready for its first take-off while under the tree it sits in, there are fish in a stream swimming down their yearly route as the ground seems to thaw. Bravestation’s rejuvenated, bringing the spring closer to us than global warming already has (and for that I’m thankful, to be honest).

Take a listen to the calm confidence. You can download the track in exchange for your email address.

But WAIT. Those lists better not be finalized just yet. I’ve got some recommendations that I hope will put the wind back in your hair and the bounce back in your step. The sun may be taking its sweet ol time to wake us up these days, but these recommendations have sure made an impact on me so far.

David Lynch – Crazy Clown Time

While I’ve been slowly wading my way through Twin Peaks (and LOVING it), its creator and main director David Lynch has been working up his first solo album. I was hooked as soon as I heard “Pinky’s Dream,” which features Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on vocals. It’s absolutely mesmerizing, and the album continues to loop you into this twisted world that’s sometimes underwater, sometimes actually what you’d picture to be an vast, empty white space where Lynch is just sitting there getting all mind-bendy. It helps that it definitely feels like youre in the sad, sleepy Washington town of Twin Peaks at times, but overall this is a very intriguing, artistic and exciting release for this year.

No other album will make you feel like you’re in a drugged-up, tripped-out art gallery; hazy bedroom as light trickles in; Bollywood; a dance club; soundtrack and generally curious landscapes. That sounds like a smorgasbord of locations, but tie it all up together in wire and you’ve got one of the coolest records to come out this year. I’ve spent weeks using this as my soundtrack for the walk to work (or anywhere for that matter) in order to get there faster. The California-by-way-of-NYC art pop duo are dreamy for the best of times and turn lyrics about dirty water into something captivating. This album is a lot more dancy (even though there are also some nicely done slower tracks), addictive and just better off for them. I’m excited to see them at the Garrison on November 14.

Here’s my latest favourite dance track. Straight outta Halifax, the dance party reaches this-a-way all in the name of one pretty cool dude. AA Wallace seems to have made quite a name for himself over on the east coast in bands, making remixes and his own material, but it seems this could be the track that breaks him out even farther, as he makes all the noise he can make. I think from now on, every time “Moves Like Jagger,” that cursed earworm, comes anywhere near me, I’ll try to get this on in time to fight it off.

Things around these parts have been a bit mum from me lately. I’ve been incredibly busy putting together the first issue of Static Zine – a fun new Toronto arts and life zine. Yes that’s right, a zine. Every time I go somewhere to drop them off now and say that word, I get some pretty funny looks. But this has worked out really well so far with an amazing team of contributors, already running out at numerous locations after a few hours and we’ve already been interviewed!

We’re throwing a launch party on the last day of NXNE. Here’s the Facebook event, and you can see the show poster above. We’ll have performances by Jeans Boots, Kat Burns of Forest City Lovers, Lowell Sostomi of Great Bloomers, The Ruby Spirit, Bravestation and Sister. I am beyond excited!

Pack your week with some gritty guitars and satisfied gloomy skies with songs from Rain Over St. Ambrose, Reversing Falls and Sports. Then tell me that you feel at least a little more oomph in your steps.

Rain Over St. Ambrose

“DG Gold Paint” is off their debut self-titled April-released EP. Packing crunchy Canadiana into three songs, this Yarmouth five-piece may have risen from the ashes of the unfortunate passing of singer Cory’s father (the band name is a testament to that), but they could work their way into a future with clearer skies. The single utilizes some classic rock patterns with the guitar, keyboard and drums and paired with Cory’s vocals, they remind me of The Hold Steady. Download the EP here.

Here’s an edgy ear worm for you, straight from Montreal. Guitars power through to a trembling tempo and Tyler Crawford’s vocals go back and forth, solidifying the hooks. Part of a teaser EP with the darker song “Doom Beach,” it shows a promising future for the LP that is to come. The EP was produced by Mark Lawson (Arcade Fire, Timber Timbre, The Unicorns). Download the EP and previous material at their BandCamp.

This Toronto band has been working their way up to this full-length release with a much steadier pace as of late. The album, which you can download for free (or name your price), is full of energy, whether it be dark or light. My favourite track as of now is “Light,” which has this great bass hook line and thick, ghostly vocal structures. It’s one of the darker songs, and it feels good. The band will officially release the album on June 7 at the Horseshoe Tavern.

Guys, my brother is in a band. It’s called Lesionread. They put out an album, Push, last month.

Push is a colourful mixture of everything Shawn (my brother) and Jonathan Reed have absorbed musically over the last few years. There’s a little bit of Radiohead/Thom Yorke influence in Shawn’s voice (it can’t be denied, no matter how much nobody wants to admit that sort of thing, but this is knowing how much he listened to them and how he started learning about music, and there’s nothing wrong with that) and then there’s groovy, electronic blending of dotted lines with the occasional riffing guitar or other bombastic instrument. Reed delves into spoken word and soothing soul. Things slow down, get experimental. Auto-tuned for a song, even. And that’s just the first half of the album. There’s acoustic guitar, strings, and more in the second half.

Push is a lot to take in, but it’s interesting to see this exploration of learning and exploration itself. It’s different, it’s hard to categorize, but it’s compelling. And I’m not just saying this because Lesionread is 1/2 Lewis.

It’s a pretty blah week, Canada. I don’t have to reiterate all the reasons though, so instead I’ll just give you three glorious new songs to perk up your spirits.

Off the soon-to-be-released Sam Roberts Band album Collider, here’s “Longitude,” a duet with Land of Talk’s Liz Powell. This is a much better track than the other two I’ve heard off Collider so far, which is both a good and bad sign. Liz’s voice is much lighter than her own work here, and there are nice, dreamy moments when her and Sam’s voices come together. The song also just seems to go back to older Sam Roberts Band sounds rather than whatever they’re trying to do with this new album (and what they did on the previous one). But anyways, what a great mash-up of Canadianness this song is.

Elliott Brood have announced that they will be releasing an album later this year, and I am pretty freaking excited. If it’s anything like this first single “Northern Air,” we’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s been since 2008 that we’ve had something new from these guys, it’s about damn time! “Northern Air” is a beautiful five minutes, lead by Casey Laforet rather than Mark Sasso, who sang on most of Mountain Meadows. Honestly, I like Casey’s voice better, so that might be why I respond to this song more strongly. He’s just got this rolling calmness to him, and paired with the banjo, harmonica and the one-twos of the piano and bass, it’s goodness.

I’ve recently been introduced to Charlottetown band Racoon Bandit (seriously though, why the typo in the name, band?). I’m only a couple listens in to Into the Hills so far, but I really dig it. It’s got a lot of heart, and this is evident through “Silver Bullet,” a song at a run’s pace that might call upon your memory of Arcade Fire or Plants and Animals. “Silver Bullet” just has this escapist passion to it, like it’s trying to get out, they want to get out, you want to get out, anything, and it sweeps you into wherever it’s going.

Bravestation‘s on a roll! They announced their “White Wolves” video and UK tour last week (check it) and now we have bumpin’ remixes of the track.

I particularly love the Youth one, which has expanded “White Wolves” into something really danceable. It cut up Devin Wilson’s vocals into ghostly grooves and added more beats, electro swirls and toy-piano like highlights. It’s already been on repeat for me today.